Consultation: how could PSHE in schools be improved?

TSR government consultation
How could PSHE in schools be improved?

As a government we feel that PSHE in schools is not currently fit for purpose. Too often it is taught badly by non-specialists and is not really set up to teach important life skills.

This government we wish to reform PSHE so that it sets pupils up with the skills they need for life: at work, at home, and in civic society – particularly skills where children often do not get much input or guidance at home.

So we want to know what changes you would like us to make to the PSHE curriculum. What topics would you like us to include? What did you or do you have to do within PSHE/citizenship that you thought was not important or useful?

Saracen's Fez
Secretary of State for Education

For context: I am the Education Secretary in the current government within the TSR Model House of Commons. Please visit the MHoC forum for more context, or if you're interested in joining a party, please take a look here.

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Abolition?

Original post by Jammy Duel

Abolition?

Reply 3

CoolCavy

Volunteer Team

More LGBT education, i can't say that learning about condoms for years has served me any purpose.
Less emphasis on alcohol and drugs, the people who want to prat about and get wasted at 15 already are doing it. More inclusion of things like finances, tax, overdrafts, loans etc.

Reply 4

shadowdweller

Volunteer Section Leader

Retaining most of the current content, as in large part it's important - especially that around drugs and similar topics, though in that regard I'd suggest that gambling should also be covered.

I agree that LGBT+ topics should have more coverage, as there simply isn't anywhere near a sufficient amount currently. I think that money in general needs more coverage too - renting, mortgages, and credit cards are the immediate ones springing to mind, aside from those mentioned above.

Original post by CoolCavy

Pray tell me, why does a 12/13/14/15/16 year old need to know about 'finances, tax, overdrafts, loans'.

Kids (and later adults) for the last god knows how many years haven't had dedicated 'financial' lessons at school.

People at 16 under all they need to know is that sometimes they may get National Insurance deductions if they earn x amount at work, which their employer would tell them about. Very few get income tax deductions because very few work that much.

'Tax'. What exactly do you intend teaching them about tax? What kind of tax? Capital gains, inherticance, what? They don't need to know about it, it's obvious, money is taken away from you under certain conidtions.

Overdrafts, this again is explained by banks when you set up an account. Kids also don't tend to have overdrafts.

Loans, kids don't take them out.

This line that people spout out saying 'OMG WE DIDN'T LEARN ABOUT TAXES'. No people like that are stupid and it doesn't take much to do basic finances. Certainly not enough to be needed to put in the curriculum.

Reply 7

Lewito

Original post by Glaz

So you ditto it being abolished and ditto suggested improvements to it. Nice.

Reply 8

SoggyCabbages

LGBT topics, really?

I'm not a gay, trans or what have you but do people really need to be told that some girls like lady gardens some like willy, some girls wanna be boys, some girls decide what gender they want to be when they get up in the morning. It really isn't neccessary.

All you need to tell them is 'don't beat up this boy just because he likes boys'. Which should be included in school policy that students know about anyway,.

Drugs education is stupid, what's the point of telling me that cocaine is bad. It obviously hasn't worked in the last 15/20 years of PSHE because we still have drug addicts.

Consent lessons are stupid anyway, don't rape is obvious.

And putting condoms on cucumbers in class is farsical. Can't say it ever helped me.

Reply 9

username2998742

Original post by The Mogg

So you ditto it being abolished and ditto suggested improvements to it. Nice.

Well I haven't had a lesson of PSHE since year 4 so I can barely remember what it was like but from what I can remember it was awful and useless so I'd be fine with it being abolished, however if it is going to be kept then it needs improvements and I'm down with the suggested improvements

Reply 10

username2998742

Original post by SoggyCabbages

Yes yes, all of this is obvious, but why does it still happen? Obviously better education is required as this stuff hasn't stopped...

Reply 11

Lewito

Original post by Glaz

It is indeed useless, thanks to the ever so glorious Welsh government I'm still doing PSHE now in year 12, and it's a load of s***.

Reply 12

username2998742

Original post by The Mogg

It is indeed useless, thanks to the ever so glorious Welsh government I'm still doing PSHE now in year 12, and it's a load of s***.

Exactly - and if it's not gonna be abolished it needs improvements

Reply 13

SoggyCabbages

Original post by Glaz

Yes yes, all of this is obvious, but why does it still happen? Obviously better education is required as this stuff hasn't stopped...

If you're going to tell someone who is psychologically messed up anyway not to rape people, that isn't going to stop them is it?

People's brains, mindsets, opinions etc are already locked in. This kind of education in PSHE lessons largely doesn't help, otherwise the World would be utopia, without rapists and xenophobes.

Reply 14

SoggyCabbages

The results of this 'consultation':

"ERMAGERD MORE LESSONS ON TAXES AND GAYS'.

Something which the Government could have predicted and thinks already. Wasting time and giving the illusion that they are doing something when they already know what they want to do.

Reply 15

Lewito

Original post by Glaz

Exactly - and if it's not gonna be abolished it needs improvements

I really can't see it being improved without it still being useless. Most if not all of the things done in PSHE now and the suggested improvements are things that your parents could just tell you, just scrap the damn thing and spare me my Wednesday morning thank you very much.

Reply 16

username2998742

Original post by SoggyCabbages

Children aren't messed up but haven't you ever heard people say "a little boy who likes a little girl is going to be violent with them to show that they like them" before? That's not on dude and that should stop. Hopefully that is something that said improvements will help teach to midget children so when they grow up it won't change from pulling their hair to raping them

Reply 17

SoggyCabbages

Original post by Glaz

I used to be quite 'rough' with someone I fancied at Secondary School. Would play pranks on them, flick them, poke them, maybe throw a pen. Doesn't mean I raped them when we got out of school. Stupid argument.

Reply 18

username2998742

Original post by SoggyCabbages

Well what you did is wrong. People aren't turned on by you flicking them, touching them, throwing pens at them, etc... they're turned on by you being, what's that? NICE. I'm not saying everyone who does that turns into a rapist but if children aren't taught at a young age that they shouldn't bully people they like then there is a possibility it could turn into more as they get older. One moment it's pulling their hair, the next it's slapping their ass.

Reply 19

SoggyCabbages

Original post by Glaz

Flicking, poking, touching is 'wrong'? Lol. I flicked and poked boys too you know, that's what school kids do. Punch, flick, throw, josh around it's not 'wrong' it's just what being at school is. I can tell you are obviously introverted so you can't comment on that.

Grown people do it as well, muck around, play pranks. We don't all rape each other all the time.

I threw a wet paper towel at a lady at work today, am I going to be raping her later and slapping her arse?

Pulling hair and, slapping someone is 'wrong' yes. But you don't need to put a sexual slant on to stuff like that, you just need to tell everyone not to bully. Which again is in school behavioural codes and not needed for dedicated PSHE lessons.